pollak



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

K. POLLAK. BLEGTRIG BATTERY.

No. 359,690. Patented MarfZZ, 1887.

WIN/8858 g Z INVE/VTGR N. PETERS. Hmm-ww nL-r. Washmglnn, 0.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets Sheet 2.

K. POLLAK. I ELECTRIC BATTERY;

No. 359,690. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

INVEf/TOI? @fiaax LE-HIIIIII-III I-III J )6 AzKK (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

K. POLLAK.

ELECTRIC BATTERY. No. 359,690. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

II/IIllIIlIIll/lllIlII/IlIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/II WITNESSES INVENTOR WMKWQW 4 t e e h S s t au 6 h S A: K A L L O P K m d 0 M O W ELECTRIC BATTERY.

Patented Mar .6

WITNESSES By Aizarneya N PETERS. PlmXnJ-ilhogrzphr. Wmhinglan. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

KARL POLLAK, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO DEUTSGHE EDISON GESELLSCHAFT FUR ANGElVANDTE ELEKTRICITAT, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,690, dated March 22, 18837. Application filed August 0, 1885. Serial No. 173,684. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, KART. POLLAK, a snbj ect of the Emperor oi'Austria-lzlungary,residing at the city of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,

Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved-electric battery which has the advantage that it can be arranged within a very small compass, produces a comparatively great and constant electromotive force, and that it can be easily filled and cheaply renewed.

The invention consists ofan electric battery is composed of a partitioned vessel, in the cells of which are suspended copper plates, and intermediately between the latter zinc plates covered by a prepared wrapper oftissuc-paper. The zinc and copper plates are supported by 2a a grating that is attached to a sliding casing which is fitted tightly around the vessel. The coveringwrapper of the zinc plate is soaked in a mixture of gelatine, glycerinc, and water and treated with tannic acid, as will herein- 2 5 after he more fully described, and finally be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of an incandescent lamp for table use, in the 0 body of which is arranged an electric battery of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same; Fig. 3, avertical transverse section of the movable part of the battery. Fig. 4 is a top view, partlyin 5 horizontal section; Fig. 5, a vertical longitudinal section on line as 00, Fig. 4; and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a vertical central section and a top view, partly in horizontal section, of a modified form of my improved electric arc battery.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

In-the drawings, A represents the vessel within which my improved electric battery is arranged, and in which the exciting-liquid is placed. The vessel A is made, preferably, of square or oblong shape, but can also be made o't'ronnd or polygonal shape. The vessel A is separated by a number of parallel partitions,

a, into a number of chambers, which are again divided by transverse partitions a into two compartments, B B, of which the compartments B are considerably longer than the compartments B. The transverse partitions c are provided at both sides with narrow slits aflthat extend from the upper to the lower end of the partitions a, so that the compartments B and B communicate with each other. In the longer compartments B B are arranged the copper and zinc elements of the battery, which are suspended from a grating, O, of wooden slats, that rests on the rim of the vessel A. The copper plates karelapped at their upper ends over the slats of the grating and attached thereto by screws, as shown in Fig. 4. The slats of the grating 0 rest centrally on the partitions (t of the vessel A. From each slat of the grating G extend two copper plates in downward direction and at opposite sides of each partition a into the compartment 13. 0 The lower ends of the copper plates are connected by one or more transverse blocks, 1) b, of hard rubber or other suitable material, by which they are retained at a uniform distance from each other. The insulating-blocks bare 75 attached to the plates by transverse copper rivets, by which at the same time the metallic connection of the copper plates is accomplished. I

In the spaces formed between the copper plates is in the compartments B B are arranged the zinc plates Z, which also rest on the bottom blocks, 1) b, and are retained thereby in position at the lower ends. The nine plates are supported at their upper ends by spring- 8 clasps d, of sheet metal, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which are attached to a transverse end strip of the grating O. The grating O is at tached to a metallic casing, D, which is tightly fitted to the casing A and adapted to slide over 0 the same. The casing D has handles ff, by which it is raised or lowered. The casing D is closed at the top and provided with a hinged lid, D, as shown in Fig. 5, that extends over the compartments B, and that serves for in 5 sertin g the material required for replenishing the electric battery from time to time.

The metallic connection of the different elements of the battery is such that the copper plates of the first element are connected by a copper wire with the zinc plate of the next adjoining cell, as shown in Fig. 4, and the copper plates of the last element by a copper wire with the casing D, which latter serves for conducting the electric current.

The opposite pole of the battery is formed by the zinc plate of the first element, from which a wire passes through an insulated opening of the casing D, as shown in Fig. 2.

The vessel A is filled to nearly half its height with a solution of sulphate of copper, into which the elements are plunged by lowering the casing until the zinc and copper plates arrive at the bottom of the vessel A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

For interrupting the action of the battery, the casing D is raised into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which position the casing D is retained by a spring catch or other locking device, by which arrangement the battery is entirely at rest when not required for use. The tight fitting of the casing D around the vessel A serves for keeping the zinc plates in a moist condition even when the battery is not in use, which has the advantage that at the moment when the casing is lowered and the battery dipped in the exciting-solution a current of considerable force is generated.

Around the zinc plates Z is wrapped a layer of tissue-paper, which, either before or after its application to the plates, is soaked in a sowrapper.

lution of two parts of gelatine, six parts of glycerine, and three parts of water. The wrapper of tissue-paper forms a kind of bag in which the zinc plateis hung. \Vhen the soaked wrapper ot' tissue-paper has become perfectly dry, which takes about two hours, the zinc plate and. its wrapper are dipped in a solution of tannic acid of brownish color and of the consistency of a weak solution of gumarabic. In this weak bath of tannic acid the plate is allowed to remain for about ten or twenty seconds, after which the plate is taken out and allowed to dry, so that the tannic acid can exert a tanning action on the paper This is accomplished in about fifteen to twenty minutes, upon which the tanned wrapper can be washed oft" with water. After the surplus moisture has been allowed to drip oil, the plates are again covered with a wrapper of common tissue-paper, which is secured by a thread wound around the coveringpaper,asshowninFig. 5. Thecoveringlayerof of tissue-paper has the object of protecting the prepared wrapper of tissue-paper, and also of preventing, respectively, retarding the mixing of the sulphate-of-copper solution with the sulphate-of-zinc solution. The thus -prepared wrapper lasts until the zinc plate is entirely consumed,which is of considerable advantage, as thereby the zinc plate has to be covered only once during its life with a covering-wrap. per. The sulphate of zinc formed by the action of the elements is diffused through the wrapper and collected as a saturated solution. at the bottom of the cells,below the sulphateof-copper solution, where it crystallizes and assumes a greenish tint,owing to the sulphateof copper solution. The refilling of the bat tery is accomplished by inserting barswhich are pressed into prismatic shape, and formed of sulphate of copper mixed with about five per cent. of tartaric acid, into the compartment B by means of the hinged lid D of the casing D.

. The battery so far described was supposed to be of square or oblong shape, A battery of round or polygonal shape is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this case the elements are arranged radially to the center of the battery. The vessel A is provided with a central cylindrical or polygonal chamber or wall, E,which is open at the lower end, connected by small channels mat the lower end with the compartments B, that are formed by radial partitions c a around the well E. A conical rubber valve,n,is fitted to a tapering seat at the lower ,end of the well E, and connected to a ful-.

crumed lover, a, that is retained by a spring: hook,a ,at the bottom of the vessel A,whe'reby the valve n closes tightly the lower end of the well. \Vhen the lever n is released, the valve or is raised in the well E, so as to open the channels on without permitting the liquid to rise above the valve. By the channels m and valve n the spent solution can be readily drawn off at the bottom of the vessel A. The copper and zinc plates k and Z are suspended from the wooden grating O in the same manner as in Figs. 1 to 5. The grating O is attached to a metallic sleeve or casing, D, which'is fitted around the vessel A.

In each compartment 13 are arranged two combined elements-namely, two zinc plates, Z, which are inclosed in a prepared wrapper, as the zinc plates hereinbefore described, and two copper plates, K K.

the inner copper plates, K, form the side of a hollow prism whose thirdside or base, K is divided at the center by a narrow slot, and whose bottom is provided with openings for the passage of the exciting-solution. The space inclosed by the copper prisms K K serves for inserting the bars F, composed of sulphate of copper and tartaric acid, which are employed The outer copper: plates, K, are attached to the grating, while IIO for replenishing the elements. The sides Kof the prism K K are connected at their lower end with the copper plates K by copper rivets and. rubber blocks Z) I), which support the zinc plates Z, that are retained at their upper ends by metal clasps d, in the same manner as in Figs. 1 to 5.

The two zinc plates of each compartment B are connected with each other by a metal strip, while the copper plates of each cell are metallically connected by the rivets. The

different elements are connected in series, the copper plates of one element being connected to the zinc plates of the next element, and so on, the copper plates of the last elementbeing connected to the casing D,while the zinc plate of the first element is connected to a wire that is insulated from the cover of the casing D. The cover of the casing is made of two plates, which are provided with triangular openings that correspond to the size of the prisms K K, and thatserve, when made to register with each other and the upper parts of the prisms, to insert the replenishing-bars F. By turning the upper plate of the cover the casing is closed.

A battery of this construction possesses a comparatively great electro motive force, owing to the close proximity of the copper and zinc plates to each other, by which the interior resistance of the elements is considerably diminished and the effect of the same considerably increased, so that elements having zinc plates of sixteen centimeters in height and seven centimeters in width can be used for the generation of electric light. Owing to the close proximity of the zinc and copper plates, the prepared tissue-wrapper has to be used in place of the clay, parchment, or bladder cells used heretofore, as these are too cumbrous to permit the close approach of the plates. By the use of said cells the copper would be deposited in a very short time in metallic form, and thereby connect the electrodes with each other.

A battery of this construction is specially adapted for use with portable electric lamps for domestic purposes, the battery being ar ranged in the base of the lamp. An incandescent lamp, 7:, is arranged on astandard of suitable insulating material on the casing of the battery,the carbon filament of the lamp being connected by insulated wire with the zinc and copper poles of the battery.

Vvhen several incandescent lamps have to be supplied,a battery of large size is required, which is preferably arranged below the table or at any suitable place from which the lamps maybe conveniently supplied with the electric current. Care has to be taken, however, that they are so placed that the raising or lowering of the casing can be easily accomplished.

Having thus described myinvention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric battery, the combination of a partitioned vessel, copper plates suspended in the cells of said vessel,and intermediate zinc plates covered by a wrapper of tanned tissuepaper, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a partitioned vessel, a grating resting on said vessel, copper plates suspended from said grating,and intermediate zinc plates having awrapper of prepared tissue-paper, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a partitioned vessel, a grating resting on said vessel, copper plates suspended from said grating and connected at the lower ends by copper rivets and insulat ing-blocks, zine plates supported from said grating and resting on said blocks intermediately between the copper plates, said zinc plates being covered by a wrapper of pre pared tissue-paper, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a vessel divided by partitions into a number of cells, a wooden grating resting on said vessel, copper plates suspended from said grating, and zinc plates covered bya wrapper of tissue-paper and supported intermediately between the copper plates, and a sliding casing tov which the zinc and copper plates are attached, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric battery, a zinc plate covered by a wrapper of tissue-paper soaked in gelatine, glycerine, and water and treated with tannic acid or other tanning substance, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric battery, replenishing-bars composed of sulphate of copper and tartaric acid, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KARL POLLAK.

.Vi tnesses:

GERARD v. Niiwnocnr, B. ROI. 

